1. Field of the Invention
A fruit picking apparatus for picking fruit from a tree configured for use in combination with a mobile chassis.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A vast number of devices have been developed for picking or harvesting fruit from trees and the like.
One example comprises a vibratory fruit picking machine including a power driven means for shaking the tree or branches thereof to free the fruit. This vibratory type is generally undesirable because they may cause damage to the trees or fruit itself. Newer fruit picker machines include a picking head to be positioned adjacent the tree for direct contact with the fruit to separate the fruit from the tree. These may also cause damage as the fruit is removed from the branches during the picking operation.
Further many of these devices are relatively ineffective because they do not properly orient the tree branches in a manner which exposes the fruit for mechanical picking or provide a satisfactory manner of freeing the fruit from its stem. As a result such fruit picking devices may either leave the fruit on the tree or damage the fruit as it is removed. Moreover many such devices actually damage the trees themselves.
Typical of these devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,656,287; 3,690,053; 3,768,239; 3,744,226; 3,889,454; 3,968,631; 3,987,608; 4,000,601.